Catch for traveling-bag frames



Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,304 5. DRESNER CATCH FOR TRAVELING BOX FRAMES Fil ed ma 12, 1922 Qj amue/jre ner Patented 13, 1923.

SAMUEL DRESNERpOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. .v

CATCH FOR TRAVELING-BAG FRAMES.

Application filed May 12,

hicago, in the county of Cook State of Illinois, have invented certain. neWand useful Improvements in a Catch for 'llravcling- Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dc I scription of the invention, such as will en also interlock E9 able others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to catches or fastenings of the pivoted hook type as employed on traveling bags and the like for preventing a relative movement of the two movable partsin a generaldirection parallel to the axis on which the latching lever is pivoted, such catches being commonly employed for holding bag frames closed regardless of the locking of the bag. For this purpose, it has long been customary to mount two such catches on the top ofthe outer frame portion near the upper corners of the bag, having a hinged adapted to be swunginto and in the companion frame portion and having aspring arranged for normally holding the latching arm of the catch in either its lock in or unlocking position.

While catches of this kind as now in common use are quite efiective when there is no great load within the traveling bag and when no particular strain is exerted on the ag, an undue loading or other straining of the bag, such as that occurring Well packed bag is roughly handled, to snap these a possible loss e bag. My present invention aims to avoid such occurrences by providing a safety provision which will latch the catch against such accidental releasing,-and aims to provide this safety provision in an exceedingly simple and highly effective construction. Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a catch or fastening of this general class which will the two upper portions of the frame members against relative vertical movement, thereby increasing their effective joint strength and enablingthe bag to resist more severe strains.

More particularly, my invention aims to provide a catch of the class described in which the latching armis slidably mounted is apt catches open, thereby causing or damage to the contents of its f a position in which it enters a slot 1922. Serial No. 560,286.

on a pivoted lever is slid into tion. It alsoaims to provide friction means, desirably in the form venting the of its said locked or safety position and. for

likewise preventing the lever from sliding when the catch is swung open. Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one upper corner portion of a traveling equipped with a safety catch embodying my invention and showing this when the catch is closed and latched in its safety position.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same bag parts with the catch unlatched and with the bag lever extends whenthe catch is closed.

*ig. 8 is a section taken along the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 5 through the catch of'my invention and the frame portions adjacent thereto, with the catch in its locked or safety position.

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken with the catch in its unlocked position.

Fig. 5 is a section taken transversely of Fig. 3and along the line 5-5 of that figure.

F ig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring which affords the needed friction for resisting a sliding of the arm of the catch on the lever. j In the embodiment of the drawings, I am showing the catch ofmy invention as applied to a bag frame which has each of its main portions composed of two strips having their faces at right angles to each other and rigidly connected to each other so as to form the equivalent of two angle steel frames, these frame strips being spaced from each other according to the usual practice to permit of their being covered with leather. The outer frame portion comprises a flat bandl bent flatwise and designedto extend upwardly along one end of the bag and to extend fiatwise horizontally along the top of the bag, this strip 1 being connected by angle braces 2 to a similarly shaped strip 3 which is bent edgewise so as to have its facesvertica he companion or inner frame portion consists of similarly arranged parts, namely a strip 4 extending parallel to the strip l. and bent flatwise and having its upper face horizontal this strip l being connected by angle braces 5 to another poi ion 6 of the inner frame which is bent edpewise so as to have its fiat faces 'ertical. inner frame portion 6 by a rivet 7 is a latching plate 8 which has its main portion horizontal and which has a substantially rectangular slot .or perforation portion. Mounted on the outer frame strip 1 is a latch body 10 which has a Pel'ffilttillOIl 1i alining both; with the said perforation?) in the. latching plate 8 andwith a perforation 12 in thesaid outerframe portion 1. This latching body is recessed on its underside so as to raise its top for soi ie distance above the top of the frame member. 1 and desirably is secured to that frame portion by fingers 13 extending; through perforations in the frame member 1 and clinched against the underside of the same as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4t.

Pivoted to the latch body 10 on a pin l l which is disposed transversely of the general direction in which the frame member 1 extends horizontally, is a lever 15 which desirably has its free end l6 curved upwardly to facilitate the grasping of the end of the lever when the latter is to be raised, and which lever extends longitudinally of the bag frame. .This lever has two portions adjacent to the pin 14: disposed at a decided angle to each other and each adapted to enriveted to the underside of the latch body, so that this spring will hold the lever firmly either in its latching position of Fig. 3 or in its unlatching' position of Fig. i. i

The latching itself is effected by a latching member carried by the lever and havin an .zrm 18 adapted to project through all three of the said alincd perforations when the lever is in its lowered or latching position. Instead of fastening; this latching arm rigidly to the lever in accordance with the general practice heretofore employed, 1 pro .interposo normally-bow to a greater. heightdistance between the said pins and the botvid e the arm with a head 19 resting upon the top of the lever 15 and I permit the arm to extend througha perforation 24 in the lever which corresponds in width to that ofthe shank of the arm but; which 1s considerably longer (in the direction of the length of the lever) than the corresponding width of the arm portion adjacent to the head 19-. Then I provide at least'one, and desirably two, pins 20 extending transversely through the arm at some; distance below the lever 15' and between these pins and the lever axspringg 9 1 which is so formed that it would than the tom of the lever. For this purpose l desirably employ a spring as shown in Fig. 6. which spring has a perforation through Secured to the l 9 in this maininterlocks the two instantly be unlockedby simply age the face of afiat spring 17 which is also be evident advantages secured by my latch whicl l the shank of the arinextends. Thus face 0' the lever with such a friction as to resist a sliding of the head on the lever.

To utilize this sliding movement of the arm, I provide the lower or free end of the arm with a projection 22 extending in a eral direction away from the pivot of the lever and so disposed as tonnderiiann the latching plate '8 beyond one end of the perforation 9 in the latter when the arm is in its latching position and. has been slid away from the axis ll of the lever as shown 1.11 Fig. 3. "When the arm is thusslid, the pro jecting or hook portion 22 of the arm latches the arm against upward movement, so that the arm cannot accidentally be sllttpl leiil up wards either by strains on the bag-or by accidental contact with the lever. Furthermore, the arm when in this position not only cooperates with the side walls of the pjer forations through which it extends in latch ing the two frame members against a movement tending; to open the bag, butalso frame members against vertical separational movement, thereby coir siderably adding to the strength and rigidity of the bag frame. However, the latch can sliding it to the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3 and thenraisine' the lever this sliding be.- inp; easily effected by digitally moving the head 19 of the arm. v

If the arm were slid away from the pivot of the lever while the latter is in its raised position,- this'might bring the arm to a position in which it'would strike against one end of the slot 11 in the latching plate so as to prevent the ready closing; movement. 0 the lever. To avoid this, I desirably provide the arm also at its free end with a proiection 23 extending; towar ls the pivot of the lever and. adapted when the lever is *aised to underhang the portion of the latching plate 10 which extends fromthe perforation 11 towards the pivot of the lever as shown in Fig. 4:. This arm 23 Will then prevent the arm from being slid along; the lever towards the free end of. the latter as long as the lever is opened. With mylatch constructed as it will be evident that the head 19 arm practically the lever and carrying the arm, andit will that the highly important are attained by'the use of very few adled parts and with a simple and inexpensive construction. However, while I have illustrated anddescribed the latch or catch of my invention as applied to a traveling; bag in whiol -each frame member has two portionsspaced from described. Of the acts as a slide mounted on V greater part of their 'for movement in a gig leather covering to thesame, inwhich the nor frame member when the latching mom-- perforations through which the latching arm operates are in the shape ofnarrow slots, in which the latching member comprises a head resting on the top of the lever and an arm extending through the lever, and in which a slightly bowed spring affords the friction means for resisting a slidingmove ment of the latching member withji'espect to the lever. I do not wish to be limited to these or other details of the construction and arrangement asthus disclosed. Obviously, the various features might be modified in many ways without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

claim as my invention:

l. A latch for the usual. bail members of a traveling bag or the like, the said bail members comprising upper portions equipped with perforations which aline when the bag is closed, comprising a lever pivot-ally connected to the outer bail member, a latching member slid-ably mounted on the lever for movement in a direction transversely of the pivot of the lever, the latching member having an arm projecting through both of the said perforations when the lever is in its closure position, the arm having at its free end a projection adapted to underhang one end of the perforation in the inner frame member when the latching member is slid in one direction while the lever is in its closure position.

2. A latch for the usual bail members of a traveling bag or the like, the said bail mem bers comprising upper portions equipped with perforations which aline when the bag is closed, comprising a lever pivotally con nected to the outer bail member, and a latching member slidablv mounted on the lever for movement in a direction transversely of the pivot of the lever, the latching member having an arm projecting through both of the said perforations when the lever is in its closure position, the arm having at its free end a projection adapted to underhang one end of the perforation in the inner frame member when the slid away from the pivot axis of the lever while the lever is in its closure position.

3. A latch for the usual bail members of a traveling bag or the like, the said bail members comprising upper portions equipped with perforations which aline when the bag is closed, comprising a lever pivotally connected to the outer bail member, and a latching member slidably mounted on the lever direction transversely of the pivot of the lever, the latching member having an arm projecting through both of the said perforations when the lever is in its closure position, the arm having at its free end a projection adapted to underhang one end of the perforation 1n the 1ntraveling bag or the latching member is 5. A latch as per claim 3, in which the latching member comprises a head bearing against the top Oil the lever and an arm pro-- jecting downwardly through the lever; and. in which the friction means comprise a bowed spring bearing against the lower face of the lever, and means on the arm of the slide tending to bowed spring and continuously pressing it against the lever.

6. A latch forthe usual bail members of a like, the said bail members comprising upper portions equipjgied with perforations which aline when the bag is closed, comprising a lever pivotally con-- nected to the outer bail member, a latching member slidably mounted on the lever for movement in a direction transversely of the pivot of the lever, the latching member havmg an arm projecting said perforations when the lever is in its closure position, the arm having at its free end a projection adapted to underhang one end of the perforation in the inner frame member when the latching member is slid in one direction while the lever is in its closure position, the arm also having at its free end a projection directed oppositely to the aforesaid projection and adapted to engage a portion of the mounting of the lever when the latter is in its unlatching position so as to prevent a movement of the slide while the lever is in that position.

7. A latch as per claim 3, in which the friction means comprise a bowed spring bearing against the lower face of the lever, and means on the arm tending to flatten the bowed spring and to press it against the lever, the lever being recessed on its lower face to house the spring.

the latch body, and a latbhmg member slidably mounted on the lever and extending through the said perforations wh 1S in its latchmg position,

through both of the 9. A bag frame having the usual pair of relatively movable frame members equipped with alinecl perforations, a catch comprising a latch body mounted on the outer frame member opposite the said perforations. a lever pivoted on the latch. body, anti ulatehing member sliclablv mountetl on the lever and extending through the said perform tions when the lever is in its latching posi- 10 tion, the latching member having a finger adapted to nnclerhang the inner frame membelt beyond the perforation in the letter when the latching member is slicl in one direction while the lever is in its said position, the latching member also having a portion underhanging a part of the latch. body when the lever is in its nnlatehing position to prevent a sliding of the latching member on the lever While the lever is in its unlatching position.

Signed at Chicago, May 5th. 1922.

SAMUEL DRESNER; 

